BOISE — For the Idaho Steelheads, the return of Dawson Barteaux came at the perfect time.
As Idaho gets set to take on the high-powered Kansas City Mavericks in the Mountain Division Finals, the defenseman who played a key role in last season’s Kelly Cup Finals runs returns following five months of playing with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.
“I think what we have here is pretty special,” Barteaux said Thursday, following his second practice back with the team. “You don’t get a chance to go after a championship every year of your career and your career is only for so long. I was super excited for the opportunity to come back, I’m just looking forward to getting it started.”
Barteaux was assigned to the Steelheads on Tuesday, five days after the Moose’s season ended by being swept by the Texas Stars, Idaho’s ECHL affiliate. With his race for the Calder Cup over, Barteaux — who is under contract with the Moose — could have called it a season. Instead, he opted to return to Idaho to help the Steelheads finish the job they couldn’t last year after being swept by the Florida Everblades in the championship.
“Obviously last year didn’t go the way we wanted,” Barteaux said. “But we gained so much experience from that run and the heartbreak that happened at the end. We’re coming in humble, but we’re coming in strong.”
The best-of-seven series against the Mavericks, which begins with Game 1 on Saturday evening in Independence, Missouri, will feature the top two scoring teams in the ECHL this season. Kansas City led the league with 305 goals during the regular season, while Idaho sat just two goals behind the Mavericks with 303.
So, adding a defenseman of Barteaux’s caliber could possibly help the Steelheads slow down the Mavericks in the series.
“He just sees the ice so well,” said Matt Register, who will be in the same defensive pairing as Barteaux. “Obviously playing in the American League for nearly the full year, it’s huge. You go up there, you play with all those young guys who are first-round picks or have played NHL games. Going up there makes things a lot easier. You play simple and you learn the game and the details.”
“Him coming back here, in just two days, he’s ahead of the pace.”
Barteaux played with Idaho for most of last season, his final year under contract with the NHL’s Dallas Stars, who drafted him in the sixth round of 2018. He started the postseason chasing the Kelly Cup with the Steelheads, but was called up to join the Texas Stars for their Central Division Final Series against the Milwaukee Admirals. Barteaux missed the last four games of the Mountain Division Finals series against the Allen Americans and the first two games of the Western Conference Finals against the Toledo Walleye, but returned after Texas was eliminated in five games by Milwaukee.
In just 14 playoff games for Idaho last season, he had a goal and seven assists.
The Foxwarren, Manitoba, native signed with his home province’s AHL team in the offseason but had it written into his contract that any assignment to the ECHL would be to Idaho, rather than the Norfolk Admirals, who are the ECHL affiliate of the Moose and their NHL affiliate Winnipeg Jets.
“It’s pretty incredible what (Idaho coach Everett Sheen) has done here with bringing guys back and the kind of people he brings to this organization,” Barteaux said about wanting to come back to Idaho. “That was a big part, just that group that he’s had around here. And obviously these fans around here are second to none. It’s incredible to play in this atmosphere, this city is amazing. So that was kind of a no-brainer.”
He started the season in the ECHL, recording 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) for Idaho before being called up to the AHL just before Christmas. He spent the rest of the season there, scoring five goals and recording 14 assists in 45 games.
“In the 15 games with us, he was dominant,” said Sheen. “He even took a step forward from last year. Now, even the first few days in practice here, you can tell he’s been playing American League games, so hopefully that translates.”
And now that his AHL season is done, he hopes to help the Steelheads push toward their first Kelly Cup title since 2007.
“It definitely isn’t a consolation, I’m extremely grateful that Sheener gave me this opportunity and wanted me to come back,” Barteaux said. “Having a chance to run after this trophy is something that is extremely special and that’s my goal coming back here, come here with some hardware.”
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